2018 Abarth 500 ECU

Partial extension (50/50)
(where provided)
Proceed as follows:
remove the rear seat head restraints
(where provided);
remove the parcel shelf, by releasing
it from its two side pins and pulling it
out.
check that the seat belt is fully
extended and not twisted
operate lever 1 or 2 fig. 15 to release
the left hand or right hand part of the
backrest respectively and guide it onto
the cushion.
IMPORTANT To return the backrest to
its correct position, we recommend
operating from the outside through the
doors.
Total extension
Tilting the rear seat completely forwards
allows maximum loading volume.
Proceed as follows:
remove the rear seat head restraints
(where provided)
remove the parcel shelf, by releasing
it from its two side pins and pulling it
out.
check that the belt straps are
correctly extended and not twisted
operate the levers 1 and 2 fig. 15 to
release the backrests and guide them
onto the cushion.
Repositioning the rear seat
Raise the backrests and push them
back until the locking click of both
retainers is heard.
Position the seat belt buckles upwards
and set the cushion to the normal
use position.
IMPORTANT To return the backrest to
its correct position, we recommend
operating from the outside through the
doors.
IMPORTANT When returning the
backrest to its normal position, make
sure that it is correctly fastened and
that you hear the lock click. Make sure
the backrest is properly secured at both
sides to prevent it moving forward in
the event of sharp braking that may
cause injuries to passengers
WARNING
8)All adjustments must be made with the
car stationary.
9)If a side bag is fitted, it is dangerous to
use seat covers not available from
Lineaccessori Abarth.
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10)Once you have released the
adjustment lever, always check that the
seat is locked on the guides by trying
to move it back and forth. Failure to lock
the seat in place could result in the seat
moving suddenly and the driver losing
control of the car.
11)Make sure the backrests are properly
secured at both sides to prevent them from
moving forward, in the event of sharp
braking, and hurting the passengers.
WARNING
2)The fabric upholstery of the seats has
been designed to withstand long-term
wear deriving from normal use of the car.
Some precautions are however required.
Avoid prolonged and/or excessive rubbing
against clothing accessories such as
metal buckles and Velcro strips which, by
applying a high pressure on the fabric in
a small area, could cause it to break,
thereby damaging the upholstery.
3)Before tilting the backrest, remove any
objects on the seat cushion.
HEADRESTS
REAR
(where provided)
To extract the rear head restraints press
buttons 2 and 3 fig. 16 at the side of
the two supports simultaneously and lift
them out upwards. The rear head
restraints must be lifted out with the
backrest released and tilted toward the
passenger compartment or with the
tailgate open. To bring the head
restraint to the correct position, lift it
until you hear it click.
To lower the head restraint, press
button 2 fig. 16.
IMPORTANT If the rear seats are used,
always set the head restraints in the
"completely raised" position.
STEERING WHEEL
The steering wheel can be adjusted
vertically.
To adjust the position bring the lever fig.
17 down to position B after which the
steering wheel can be adjusted to
the most suitable position and
subsequently locked in this position by
bringing lever to position A.
12) 13)
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KNOWING YOUR CAR

FRONT SPOILER
The car is provided with a front spoiler
which can be raised to improve
aerodynamic comfort inside the
passenger compartment.
To lift the spoiler, release the catch by
means of the slider 1 moving it to
position B as shown in fig. 37.
Be careful not to move the slider 1 from
position B to position A with the spoiler
up.
To lower the spoiler, press and move
the slider to position A fig. 37 to lock it
once the slider’s catch is positioned
inside its housing fig. 38.
It is advisable to raise the spoiler when
the horizontal segment of the roof is
open and at speeds faster than 50
km/h.With the roof completely open, it is
advisable to keep the spoiler lowered to
limit wind noise inside the passenger
compartment.
Raising the spoiler will reduce the flow
of air to the rear seats.
WARNING
22)Keep hands away from the top
mechanism while opening and closing the
top or if the top stops in a position before
completing the cycle to prevent damage
and injury.
23)Keep children away from the area in
which the top is folding during opening or
closing operations.24)When leaving the car, always remove
the key from the ignition device to avoid the
risk of injury due to accidental operation
of the soft top: improper use of the roof
can be dangerous. Before and during
operation, always check that no-one is at
risk of being injured by the moving soft top
roof or by objects getting caught and
dragged by it.
WARNING
9)Never open the top in presence of snow
or ice to prevent damage.
10)Do not place objects on the rear
window shelf to prevent damage while the
top is closing.
11)Loads may not be secured on the roof.
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KNOWING YOUR CAR

ENGINE BONNET
OPENING
Proceed as follows:
pull lever 1 fig. 39 in the direction
indicated by the arrow;
move the lever 2 fig. 40 to the right
as shown in the figure;
lift the bonnet and, at the same time,
release the supporting rod 3 fig. 41
from its catch 4, then insert the end of
the rod into housing 5 in the bonnet
(large hole) and push to safety position
(small hole), as shown in the figure.
25) 26) 27) 29)
CLOSING
Proceed as follows:
hold the bonnet up with one hand
and with the other remove the stay
3 fig. 41 from the housing 5 and put it
back in its locking device 4;
lower the bonnet to approximately
20 centimetres above the engine
compartment and let it come down.
Make sure that the bonnet is
completely closed and not just secured
in safety position. If it is not perfectly
closed, do not try to press the bonnet
down but open it and repeat the
procedure.
28)
WARNING
25)The bonnet may drop suddenly if the
supporting rod is not positioned correctly.
Only perform these operations when the
car is stationary.
26)Be careful working inside engine
compartment when the engine is hot to
avoid burning yourself. Do not place your
hands near the engine fan as it may be
activated even when the key is removed.
Wait until the engine has cooled.
27)Be very careful not to allow scarves,
neckties and other loose articles of clothing
from touching, even accidentally, any
moving parts. This may cause the clothing
to be pulled into the part, resulting in
serious injury to the wearer.
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3
4
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EXTENDING THE BOOT
The boot can be partially (50/50) or
totally extended by splitting the rear
seat.
See the descriptions in the “Rear seats”
paragraph for how to expand the boot.
REMOVING THE PARCEL
SHELF
To remove the parcel shelf, release it
from its two side pins and pull it out.
WARNING
30)Never exceed the maximum allowed
load in the luggage compartment, see the
“Technical specifications” chapter. Also
make sure that the objects you place in the
boot have been properly secured, to
avoid them from being thrown forward
consequent to sharp braking and injuring
your passengers.31)If you are travelling in areas with few
filling stations and you want to transport
fuel in a spare tank, comply with the law by
using only an approved, suitably secured
tank. Anyway, by doing so, you increase
the risk of fire in the event of an accident
with your vehicle.
32)Do not drive with the tailgate open as
exhaust fumes may enter the passegner
compartment.
WARNING
12)Be careful not to hit objects on the
storage shelf when you open the tailgate.
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77)If the seat belt has been subjected to a
high level of stress, for example after an
accident, it must be completely replaced
together with the anchorages, anchorage
fixing screws and pretensioner. In fact,
even if the seat belt has no visible defects,
it could have lost its resilience.
WARNING
14)Operations which lead to impacts,
vibrations or localised heating (over 100°C
for a maximum of six hours) in the area
around the pretensioner may damage or
deploy it. Contact an Abarth Dealership
should intervention be necessary on these
components.
CHILD PROTECTION
SYSTEMS
CARRYING CHILDREN
SAFELY
78) 79) 80) 81)
For optimal protection in the event of an
impact, all occupants must be seated
and wearing adequate restraint
systems, including newborn and
children!
This prescription is compulsory in all EC
countries according to EC Directive
2003/20/EC.
Children below the height of 1.50
metres and up to 12 years must be
protected with suitable restraint
systems and be seated on the rear
seats.
Statistics on accidents indicate that the
rear seats offer greater safety for
children.
Compared with an adult, a child's head
is larger and heavier in proportion to
their body and the child's muscular and
bone structures are not fully developed.
Therefore, correct restraint systems
other than adult seat belts are
necessary to reduce as much as
possible the risk of injuries in the event
of an accident, braking or a sudden
manoeuvre.Children must be seated safely and
comfortably. As far as the
characteristics of the child seats used
allow, you are advised to keep children
in rear facing child seats for as long
as possible (at least until 3–4 years old),
since this is the most protected
position in the event of an impact.
The choice of the most suitable child
restraint system depends on the weight
and size of the child. There are various
types of child restraint systems, which
can be secured to the car by means
of the seat belts or with the ISOFIX
anchorages.
It is recommended to always choose
the restraint system most suitable
for the child; for this reason always refer
to the Owner Handbook provided with
the child restraint system, to be sure
that it is of the right type for the children
it is intended for.
In Europe the characteristics of child
restraint systems are ruled by the
regulation ECE-R44, dividing them into
five weight groups:
Group Weight range
Group 0up to 10 kg in
weight
Group 0+up to 13 kg in
weight
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Group Weight range
Group 1 9-18 kg
Group 2 15 - 25 kg
Group 3 22 - 36 kg
All restraint devices must bear the
type-approval data, together with the
control mark, on a label solidly fixed to
the child restraint system which must
never be removed.
Lineaccessori Abarth offers child
restraint systems for each weight
group. These devices are
recommended having been specifically
designed for Abarth cars.
FITTING A CHILD
RESTRAINT SYSTEM
WITH SEAT BELTS
82) 83) 84) 85)
The Universal child restraint systems
installed with the seat belts only are
type-approved on the basis of the ECE
R44 standard and are divided into
various weight groups.
WARNING The figures are indicative
and provided for assembly purposes
only. Fit the child restraint system
according to the instructions, which
must be included.IMPORTANT NOTE After an accident of
a certain severity, it is recommended
that you replace both the child restraint
system and the seat belt to which it
was secured.
GROUP 0 and 0+
Babies up to 13 kg must be carried
with a rear facing child restraint system
of a type as shown in fig. 57 which,
supporting the head, does not induce
stress on the neck in the event of
sudden decelerations.
The child restraint system is secured by
the vehicle seat belts, as shown in fig.
57 and it must restrain the child in
turn with its own belts.
GROUP 1
Children weighing from 9 to 18 kg may
be transported in forward facing child
restraint systems fig. 58.GROUP 2
Children from 15 to 25 kg may be
restrained directly by the car seat belts
fig. 59.
In this case the carseats only correctly
position the child with respect to the
seatbelts, so the diagonal part of the
belt adheres to the thorax and not
to the neck, and the horizontal part
adheres to the child's stomach and not
its abdomen.
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SAFETY

82)Child restraint systems with ISOFIX
attachments are available for safely
anchoring to the seat without using the car
seat belts. See paragraph "Installing an
ISOFIX child restraint system" for the
installation instructions.
83)Incorrect fitting of the child restraint
system may result in an inefficient
protection system. In the event of an
accident the child restraint system may
become loose and the child may be
injured, even fatally. When fitting a restraint
system for newborns or children, strictly
comply with the instructions provided
by the Manufacturer.
84)When the child restraint system is not
used, secure it with the seat belt or with
the ISOFIX anchorages, or remove it from
the vehicle. Do not leave it unsecured
inside the passenger compartment. In this
way, in the case of sudden braking or an
accident, it will not cause injuries to the
occupants.
85)After installing a child restraint system,
do not move the seat: always remove
the child restraint system before making
any adjustment.
86)If a Universal ISOFIX child seat system
is not fixed to all three anchorages, it will
not be able to protect the child correctly. In
an accident, the child could be seriously
or fatally injured.
87)Fit the child restraint system when the
car is stationary. The child restraint system
is correctly fixed to the brackets when
you hear the click. Follow the instructions
for assembly, disassembly and positioning
that the Manufacturer must supply with
the child restraint system.88)Always make sure that the chest
section of the seat belt does not pass
under the arms or behind the back of the
child. In the event of an accident the seat
belt will not be able to secure the child,
with the risk of injury, including fatal injury.
Therefore the child must always wear
the seat belt correctly.
89)Do not use the same lower anchoring
to install more than one child restraint
system.SUPPLEMENTARY
RESTRAINT SYSTEM
(SRS) – AIRBAG
The vehicle may be equipped with:
front driver airbag;
front passenger airbag;
driver's side knee bag;
driver and passenger front side bags
for pelvis, chest and shoulder
protection (Side bags);
side bags for head protection of
front seat passengers and rear side
seat passengers (window bag).
FRONT AIRBAGS
90) 107)
The front driver/passenger airbags and
the driver's knee bag (where provided)
protect the front seat occupants in
the event of frontal impacts of
medium/high severity, by placing the
bag between the occupant and the
steering wheel or dashboard.
Therefore non-activation of airbags in
other types of collisions (side impacts,
rear shunts, roll-overs, etc.) does not
indicate a system malfunction.
An electronic control unit will make the
bag inflate in the event of a frontal
impact.
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SAFETY